Changes in sympathetic activity during high frequency T.E.N.S

Recent studies have clarified some of the relationship between the autonomic nervous system and causalgic pain, but much is not known about the nature of pain. It is known that TENS may help to alleviate the chronic pain resulting from peripheral nerve lesions, and various beneficial results are usually ascribed to subjects who have pain. Our own study measured various parameters before and after TENS in healthy subjects, and these findings contrasted markedly with the results attributed to TENS in subjects suffering from pain. This raises interesting questions about the nature of TENS as a pain control.

[Pre- and postoperative accommodative convergence/accommodation (AC/A) ratio: preliminary study of computer-assisted analyses]

A group of 15 patients who underwent bilateral medial rectus muscle recession for esodeviation were analyzed for factors most closely correlated with the outcome. The data evaluated included age of onset of strabismus, refractive error, year of surgery, age of surgery, sex, preoperative esodeviation, and clinical assessment of preoperative heterophoria. Linear regression analysis was used to evaluate the relationships of these parameters. Computer-assisted logistic regression analysis and discriminant analysis were used to asses predictive variables for a postoperative increase in the AC/A ratio.

[Visual feedback on the maximal momentum of the voluntary tibio-tarsal dorsal flexion in hemiplegic patients]

In both sides (healthy and plegic) of an hemiplegic group the evaluation of tibio-tarsic isometric torque (with and without the aid of a visual feed-back) was carried out. No significative differences in the "total biological work" during a series of ten contractions, in the two cases were found. A marked increase of the pin-point single contraction in the hemiplegic side was noted. A smoothing in the decrement of the total biological work during serial contractions was also found.

[Electroanalgesia by transcutaneous stimulation (TNS). Response to the naloxone test]

The authors, after a review of the literature about TNS, suggest the comparison between three different TNS techniques from two points of view: A) Pain relief estimate; B) Response to Naloxone Test. To this purpose a impulse generator delivered a biphasic square-wave stimulus with duration of 0.40 msec and amplitude (peak to peak) to 130 mVolt, was used. TNS techniques used are so characterized 1) Frequency 80 Hz; Duration 30'; 2) Frequency 80 Hz; Duration over 120'; 3) Frequency 2/4 Hz; Duration over 120'. Although the techniques used for Group (1) provided the best numerical result in the evaluation of the pain relief, endorphine activity cannot be maintained owing to Naloxone Test negativity. Pain relief of (2) and (3) Group was statistically significant although not numerically at the same level of (1) Group. In the laters, on the contrary, positivity of Naloxone Test seems to hint at the activation of endorphine. This fact suggest to the authors hypothesis in the purpose to spot TNS site of action.

[Psychic reality of hemiplegic patients during rehabilitation]

The authors face psychological problems of the hemiplegic patient through a free re-elaboration of Sacks' and coll.'s Test of Sentences to be Completed with the purpose of pointing out psychosocial and depressive dynamics which can interfere with rehabilitation processes as well as with the re-learning of adaptation motorial successions. Attained results appear to confirm a strict relation among hemiplegia, withdrawal from parenthetical social relation and development of depressive dynamics; they also suggest the opportunity of a systematic deepening of the research.